How to Create Your Own Overview Effect (and Why It Could Change Everything)
- Brandon Love
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Earlier this week, Blue Origin made history with its first-ever all-female spaceflight crew.On board Mission NS-31 were Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Gayle King, and Lauren Sánchez.
Although the flight lasted only about ten minutes, many of the women described the experience as profound. Lauren Sánchez said it "opened her up completely," a shift she could feel deep in her bones.
Since the earliest days of space exploration, astronauts have reported something called the Overview Effect - the experience of seeing our fragile, brilliant little planet from above and coming away with a renewed sense of connection to all life on Earth.
The sight of our “pale blue dot” (thanks Carl Sagan) floating in the vastness of space inspires a transformative sense of awe that changes how we see everything. And that fundamental shift in perception has powerful consequences including a renewed sense of purpose and motivation, reignited creativity, more appreciation for others and the environment.
The overview effect changes how people lead, work, and live.
Of course, you don’t need a rocket ship to experience a shift like this.
Although a plane sometimes helps.
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Last week, I experienced a bit of a perspective shift myself, as I had the opportunity to travel through Europe. Everywhere I went, I encountered layers of story, history, and possibility. Through all my interactions with new people and places (new to me, often really old in the world) I found my mind stretched wide open as I wondered about all the other possibilities I might be missing in this life.
The trip, just like most of my travels, helped me break my perceptual patterns and thrust me into the experience of novelty that helped me gain perspective.
That’s the real secret to a perspective shift:
It’s not about distance traveled, it’s about breaking the pattern.
When we stay locked into the same environments, conversations, and routines, our perception narrows, our energy drains, our creativity dries up. We start operating on autopilot, recycling old ideas without even realizing it.
But when we intentionally interrupt the pattern, something powerful happens:
Our attention sharpens.
Our creativity reignites.
Our motivation renews.
Our curiosity expands
And that’s not just good for personal growth - it’s essential for leadership, innovation, and building a better future.
You don’t have to leave the country, or the planet, to create that kind of shift. You just have to step outside the familiar ways of thinking.
Here are a few intentional ways to break your patterns this week:
Take a different path. Walk somewhere unfamiliar. Let curiosity, not routine, guide you.
Flip your schedule. Start your day differently, or block off a "no meetings" afternoon for deep work.
Host a walking meeting. A new environment can spark entirely new conversations.
Change your questions. In your next meeting, don’t just ask “What’s the solution?” Ask “What might we be missing?”
Bring in a different voice. Read a book, attend a talk, or have a real conversation with someone whose background challenges your thinking.
Experience wonder - seriously. Watching a live magic show disrupts your brain’s usual patterns and reminds you that reality is often stranger - and more full of possibility - than it seems. (Shameless plug: I know a magician who's available for hire.)
The universe - and your own potential - is bigger and richer than your daily habits allow you to see.
The teams and leaders who thrive are the ones who learn to break their patterns on purpose.
You don’t need a spacecraft or an airplane. You just need the willingness to interrupt the familiar.
How will you break your pattern this week?
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